Where My Final Project Started In Earnest. On This Trip To Crystal Palace Park With O, I'd Been Tweeting

Unicorn tapestries & plants at The cloisters

We were singing this in choir last night :) I'll miss the performance but am enjoying learning them all the same :)

One more of The Cloisters just because....

Finale of the fantastic spoken word event that was part of the crystal palace overground festival! Glad I went. Would be great to have some park related spoken word in the audio trail.... Ill look into it. Time to sleep ready for the full on festival day tomorrow...

psychogeography? a starting point for my community audio trail and other such stuff...

So, I am poised to go; overloaded with to do lists and notes of threads of thoughts to follow. I am hoping that along with my excel workbook, that this blog will help me develop my thoughts and research.

First priority is to order some audio equipment. Having sought advice and watched this video: I have decided that the Tascam DR 40 is the one for me to try! I was toying with the Zoom hm4, which has a good reputation, however, it is a bit pricier and I don’t need the extra features it boasts.  We shall see how it goes! As well as asking for advice about recording equipment, I have asked advice about audio trails from the GEM (Group for Education in Museums) mailing list. I can recommend doing this to anyone who is looking for similar support. I received some very helpful advice and tips of trails to try out for myself. I am sure this will be an invaluable part of my research.

I have also approached a few people tentatively about being recorded for the audio trail that I want to make of Crystal Palace Park. I have received positive responses, which is great. I am though aware of the responsibility I feel towards recording and presenting this all properly. At the moment, my main aim is to record the oral history of the park at this point in time, which was inspired but my time with my friend’s daughter O, as well as talking with one of the park rangers. I am using ‘psychogeography’ as a starting point theory-wise. I am a beginner in this field, just as I am with recording oral history and creating an audio trail, which makes me slightly anxious, yet inspired to try and develop my skills and understanding. Luckily, a few other people have said they have never heard of the term and so at least I know I am not starting on a topic that everyone already knows everything about!

I am quite a nostalgic person myself and so I begin with an awareness of this fact! I’ve a great love of all things Crystal Palace, but am by no means an expert on the area. I love all things community minded and Crystal Palace is a place that thrives on community spirit. I also begin this project with a desire to explore the variety of options open when creating an audio trail. I have inevitably many questions! Is a trail a good way to help people engage in the park? Can I make an audio trail that locals (and perhaps visitors from further afield) will want to listen to?

Here and now at The Cloisters on a tour of the gardens.... very interesting

Beautiful newly comissioned wallpaper at the South London Botanical Institute

Cutty Sark to Greenwich North tube listening to the 'Dockers' memoryscape audio trailer in photos - part one

Well I do believe that winter is just about here… and so before it fully arrives I wanted to upload some of my favourite photographs of the beautiful London Autumn with the crisp but stunning light… it may be like that every year, however, I noticed it specifically this year :)

#100happydays (nearly wrote 100 happy dates! I should be so lucky!) Day four (I'm already losing count). After a restless sleepy start to the day I was pleased to pick up my local veg bag and some cheese on the way home! So today's a happy shop local day. I'll try & pretend that I didn't buy some extra milk from tesco on the way home!